Page 24 of The Alpha's Surrogate

He returned a few seconds later and put something down on the table in front of Josie. He looked as if he was going to say something, but he just walked away instead. She looked down and saw it was the key to one of the cars.

***

Josie arrived at the surrogacy center with half an hour to spare. She parked the yellow sports car at the end of the lot and sat in the car, thinking. There was too much on her mind, and a storm was raging inside her head.

Top on that list was Callahan. She hadn’t allowed herself to properly process what had happened her first night in his house. She’d had one of her nightmares again, and he’d heard somehow.

She remembered how at peace she had felt when she fell asleep in his arms, and when she woke up to find him looking at her with so much care. It had taken everything inside her not to run away, plus the fear of the were-bears, following her call with Klaus.

She’d been lashing out at Callahan. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t help herself. Caring for her the way he did—it wasn’t something she was used to. She wasn’t used to having someone look out for her that way.

The fact that she was about to officially do the procedure made everything even more complicated. She’d spent the whole night on the internet, learning all about the process. It seemed as routine a procedure as any, but she still felt anxious about it.

Throw in the were-bears and she was a ticking time bomb, two short steps away from a nervous breakdown. She wanted to walk away from everything. Drive off and never look back. But she couldn’t. She had to see this through.

Her anxiety reached a boil as she walked into the building. She was sweating profusely even though the weather was cool by Whispering Oaks standards.

The receptionist on duty, Bonnie, took her details and disappeared through the double doors. Josie found a seat underneath the air conditioner and tried her best to calm down.

Dr. Stephanie returned with Bonnie and smiled when she saw Josie. “Good morning, Josie. You’re here early. Good, good. Come with me, please. I think we can attend to you right away. What do you think?”

She managed to nod and stood up slowly. She felt like she was going to be sick. The room spun and she grabbed Dr. Stephanie’s arm for balance.

The doctor eyed her critically. “Oh dear, have a seat please.” She helped Josie back into her seat and sat beside her. “Bonnie, can you please get Ms. Ray here some water to drink? Thank you.”

She turned back to Josie. “Hey, I know that it sometimes sounds scary, but trust me, you have nothing to fear or be worried about, okay? The procedure lasts about ten minutes, and it’s so simple you don’t even need anesthetics. Or would you like us to reschedule?”

Josie shook her head. “No, please. I think I can go through with it.” Bonnie returned with the water and a paper towel. Josie took long swallows, and then dabbed the sweat on her forehead.

She felt slightly better and decided to stand. The room still spun, but not as violently as before. Dr. Stephanie smiled encouragingly and led her toward one of the back rooms for the procedure.

True to Dr. Stephanie’s word, the procedure took no time at all. The whole time, the doctor kept up a chatter, making jokes and small talk with Josie. The only thing Josie felt was a small tingle when the tube was inserted into her. All in all, it was easier than a trip to the dentist.

“Remember,” Dr. Stephanie said, when they sat in her office afterward, “you and Mr. Finn are not allowed to have any sort of relationship with each other. I’m sorry for spelling this out, but intercourse is strictly prohibited.

“There will be consequences for the both of you if it’s discovered, and you may ultimately lose your reimbursement. Mr. Finn would also lose his payment for this procedure.”

The thought of not being able to pay the were-bears was enough to make her sick. But she remembered how it had felt to have Callahan hold her. How safe she was when he was with her. She knew it was going to be almost impossible to resist him, but she had to try.

“I understand,” she replied.

Dr. Stephanie smiled. “You’ll need to come back in three weeks for a pregnancy test, and you’re to call me immediately if you start to feel any symptoms or side effects. That will be all, Josie. You can go now.”

Josie declined the doctor’s offer to walk her back to her car. She couldn’t start explaining an expensive sports car to the curious woman. She pushed the front door open and paused. Callahan was leaning on the passenger door smiling at her.

Of course he was out here waiting for her. She wasn’t remotely surprised to find him there. She remembered how she’d spoken to him the day before, and guilt overwhelmed her as she approached him.

“Hey, Callahan,” she said. “I’m sorry about yesterday. You were only looking out for me, and I didn’t need to be such a jerk about it.”

He smiled. “Water under the bridge.” He nodded toward the building. “How did that go?”

“Smoothly,” she replied. “I think sex should be outlawed globally. This was so much tidier.”

Callahan snorted. “Good luck with that.” He knocked a hand on the roof. “Come on, get in. I want to show you something. If you’re feeling well enough, that is?”

“I feel great,” she said. A question came to her mind. “Wait, how did you get here?” She couldn’t see any other cars in the parking lot.

He shrugged. “I walked. Come on, let’s go. You’re going to thank me later.” He pulled the door open and got into the car. He was so big for such a small vehicle, but he fit right in.

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